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Erectile dysfunction in men with congenital heart disease
Stephen C Cook1, Lindsay M Arnott, Lisa M Nicholson
1The Heart Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA. stephen.cook@nationwidechildrens.org
The American Journal of Cardiology
|December 10, 2008
Summary
Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects 38% of men with congenital heart disease (CHD). Beta blockers, commonly used for CHD, significantly increase the likelihood of ED in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Sexual Health
- Congenital Heart Disease
Background:
- Growing population of women with congenital heart disease (CHD) has led to increased focus on gynecologic health.
- Limited experience exists in providing sexual health screening for men with CHD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify sexual health issues in men diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD).
Main Methods:
- Anonymous survey distributed to men in an adult CHD clinic.
- Collected data on age, CHD type, medications, sexual history, cardiovascular symptoms during intercourse, erectile dysfunction (ED), and willingness to discuss ED with a physician.
- Logistic regression analysis used to examine the relationship between medications, CHD complexity, and ED.
Main Results:
- 86 men completed the survey; mean age was 34 ± 10 years.
- Prevalence of ED was 38%.
- Men treated with beta blockers (BB) were 3.13 times more likely to report ED (p = 0.045). CHD complexity did not significantly increase ED likelihood (p >0.10).
Conclusions:
- Erectile dysfunction (ED) is prevalent in young men with congenital heart disease (CHD).
- Certain cardiac medications, particularly beta blockers (BB), may exacerbate ED symptoms.
- Most men acknowledged ED symptoms and expressed willingness to discuss them with their cardiologist.
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